
Can you bend your brain to turn “three” into a “ball?”
What is it that’s so enticing about internet quizzes? Is it our burning inner desire to finally prove we’re smarter than six-year-olds? Or do we just really want to show off our moon/ham differentiation skills?
No matter the reason, we’re here today with another brain quiz, courtesy of the certified Japanese genius and question-maker Shinpei Takahashi. Ready to be puzzled? Here we go:
▼ “What English word goes into the ? spaces?”
We’ll give you a hint right off the bat and say that if you don’t know any Japanese, chances are you’re not going to be able to solve this one. But if you have studied some Japanese, then give it another look. If you want a hint, scroll down.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hint #1: Think about the kanji of the English words. (Scroll down for another hint)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hint #2: Think about the strokes for the kanji. (Scroll down for a BIG hint)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
▼ How about this version of the puzzle, with the words replaced by kanji?
Can you solve it now? (Scroll down for answer)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
▼ The correct answer is: king! The kanji for each English word has
one stroke added to it each time. How could we have been so blind?!
Did you get it right? If so, congratulations, you are an official RocketNews24 Puzzler Extraordinaire! You may claim your prize of one gold star below:
▼ Show it off to your friends! Family! That person you have a crush on
so they’ll finally be impressed enough to ask you out!
And if you didn’t get it right, try your luck on some other Japanese quizzes. There’s always the Japanese municipality flag kanji quiz and the math question that supposedly takes an IQ of 150 to solve. Considering even we were able to solve that one, we think its claim is a bit dubious, but hey – whatever it takes to get that gold star!
Source: Shinpei Takahashi
Images: ©RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]





Brain Gymnastics Quiz: Move one matchstick to create the name of a Japanese Prefecture
Can you answer this question for 14-year-olds from the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad?
Can you solve the maze that has Japanese net users stumped?
Can you figure out this Japanese puzzle that’s “harder to solve the smarter you are?”
Meaning of life discovered using Japanese calligraphy, math, and puns
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
The oldest tunnel in Japan is believed to be haunted, and strange things happen when we go there
Japanese teacher shares surprising reason why the kanji for crow has one less line than bird
Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results
Man in Japan takes four parakeets hostage in attempt to force woman to meet with him
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen bill
Tokyo street sweets: The must-snack treats of Nakano’s Refutei
Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism”
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Gate and Yamanote Line stairway locations change next month
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan adds new sakura Frappuccino and cherry blossom drinks to the menu
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Students of Japanese despair – you’ve probably been writing some of the simplest kanji wrong
Duolingo free language learning app released their first Japanese lessons, so we tested them out!
Japanese government tells teachers not to be so strict, at least about some kanji radicals
Test your boy’s love knowledge! Can you pick the “uke” and “seme” in each relationship?
Test your knowledge of Japanese convenience stores with this katakana puzzle
Japanese first grader wins math contest by quantifying “which hiragana are the hardest to write”
How to write “sakura” in Japanese (and why it’s written that way)
Kanji quiz time! Can you identify the characters behind Japan’s creative municipal flags?
Renowned Japanese calligraphy teacher ranks the top 10 kanji that foreigners like
Japanese study tip: Imagine kanji characters as fighting game characters, like in this cool video
How well do you know your Japanese vending machines?【Quiz】
Are you smarter than a (Japanese) 5th grader? Take this mind-bending test and find out!
Why does Japanese writing need three different sets of characters? (Part 1)